A Palestinian village in the Jordan Valley suffers from Israeli policy

Thursday November 29, 2007 16:20 by Ali Al Samoudi - IMEMC News

Bardalah, a small Palestinian village located in the Jordan Valley has sufferd hardship as a result of Israeli actions. The village is the main source of agricultural produce for the West Bank but the Israeli authorities have prevented the inhabitants of the village and the surrounding areas from constructing much needed agricultural infrastructure.

Mohamad Yousif, a member of the popular committee for Land Defense in the village spoke of how the most fertile lands in the area had been confiscated to facilitate the construction of illegal Israeli settlements. 'These settlements are provided with all necessary facilities while Palestinian areas are destroyed from a lack of water, electricity and sanitation networks', he added.

            The village also suffers from a lack of health care centers and schools.

  One of the problems resulting from Israeli interference with the farmers of Baradalah and other nearby villages is that residents cannot access their lands. Farmlands and agricultural produce are being destroyed which is leading to severe economic loss.

The Israeli army has also ruined green houses and other agricultural structures in the area which were the Palestinians livelihood.

   Mohamad Sawafteh, a farmer and resident of Bardalah said that Israel's plan is to destroy the agricultural sector in the Jordan Valley by expelling the farmers from their lands and preventing them from returning.

Dr Samer al Ahmad, director of the department of the Palestinian agricultural relief committee said that these problems started after the Separation Wall was built in the area. He added that the Israelis' actions have also affected farmlands which were not adjacent to the wall.   

   The Israeli army had recently destroyed farmers' stalls in the village of Bardalah, thereby preventing the farmers from selling their produce.

Nour al Din Khalid told of how he and other farmers set up stalls on their lands to sell their produce after it became difficult for them to send their products to the West Bank due to movement restrictions. The soldiers then destroyed these stands that were set on the farmers' own lands, including his. The Israeli army did not give a reason for their actions.   

 According to a report issued by a local center opposed to the settlements, since 1969 eleven illegal Israeli settlements were constructed in the Jordan Valley on Palestinian privately owned lands.  

     Translated by Manar Jibrin-IMEMC News

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